Just a guess, but I would say it started just sometime after you added
the vegetable oil which is going to the pump unheated in cool weather.
Start there.
Fuel filter, fuel supply.
If filter is for sure good, no restriction to tank, then you can try
bypassing the fuel system alltogether, and run from a separate can on
CLEAN fuel, and see if that changes how things work.
I thought that unheated veg oil was a known no-no, and in cold weather
straight veg oil into the fuel tank was even more so. Some lubrbo-moly
diesel purge may help clean things up, but vegetable oil that has gone
solid at the cold veg oil-hot metal part interface is pretty persistent.
-James
David Cook wrote:
> All-
>> My Cabriolet (w/'81 Rabbit NA motor) suddenly has no
> power.
>> Here's what happened:
>> Yesterday, after finally getting everything set up, I
> was able to put some veg oil in the tank. (I haven't
> been able to do it since the end of July.) I had
> maybe 1-2 gallons of diesel fuel left in the tank,
> then put 4-5 gallons of vegoil in. Later I went
> straight from my house to the gas station to top it
> with diesel, which is like 5 blocks from my house.
>> As I was getting into the driveway of the gas station,
> it was suddenly like it had run out of fuel or
> something, the engine would barely chug along.
>> I managed to get it to the pump and fill it up, put in
> about 6 gallons.
>> After starting it, I could barely get it to move.
> Sometimes if I stomped on the accelerator, it will rev
> up prettymuch like normal. Other times, it will
> barely chug along, then eventually rev up. It was
> very difficult getting the car home.
>> Few questions: How long would it take for the pure
> diesel fuel that is in the pump to be used up? I
> guess I wouldn't expect it to have been comtaminated
> too much by the thicker veg oil in the very few blocks
> it takes me to drive to the gas station. Before I
> moved to my current house, I would drive several more
> blocks before getting to the gas station with no
> problems, so I'm not convinced that is the real issue.
>> I gave up on driving the cabriolet last night, and
> plugged it into the block heater.
>> This morning, I went to start it. It started okay,
> and revved up pretty well with no indication of having
> any real problems. I let it sit and idle for a couple
> minutes to help the engine warm up.
>> So, I started off to work. It drove fine until about
> when I needed to shift, then all of a sudden it lost
> all power again.
>> Getting it back home was just as difficult as
> yesterday, except luckily I had only driven about a
> half a block.
>> Anybody have any ideas? It was cool yesterday, but
> not cold-maybe 60s. And, it was the very same veg oil
> from the same place I've been getting it for over a
> year, so no change there. I tend to think the timing
> was more of a coincidence than anything else.
>> I did change the inline fuel filter pre filter
> yesterday afternoon in case it was plugged, but that
> has made no difference.
>> Sandy? Any thoughts?
>> Thanks,
> David
>>> David Cook
> Red '86 Cabriolet Diesel Powered
> Red '90 g60 Corrado
> Brown and White '78 Westy Campmobile "Bear"
> and others in various states of disrepair
> Pictures here: community.webshots.com/user/superdave5599
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